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chapter twenty seven

|blythe's not coming back?|

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is the purpose of kissing?" anne shirley-cuthbert suddenly asked while they're eating supper.

matthew and marilla stopped eating and shared a look as anne asked again.

"is it... supposed to feel good?"

millie wanted to laugh at anne's question but she stayed silent as her ears are attentively listening to them.

" 'with one long kiss why the whole soul through. my lips, as sunlight drinketh dew.' tennyson. but kissing reminds me more of a... mother bird feedings its baby," anne said, "the thought... makes me queasy. and what is the perfect kiss? is it really sweeter than honey cake? and if a kiss is such a big idea, then why is it such a small word? it should be long and difficult to say. i've been trying to think of a more appropriate name for it, but nothing gives me a thrill. i assume kissing should give you a thrill, but i'm afraid i'll never find out."

the cuthberts stayed silent as anne continued to ramble, "do you think one can have a tragical romance without ever being kissed?"

marilla and matthew stopped eating and looked awkwardly when anne turned to them, looking for an answer.

"well, now, um... i dunno," matthew answered.

"millie said she doesn't experience it yet and even have a beau before. so, have either of you ever kissed anyone?" anne asked.

"anne!" millie blurted out, "we shouldn't talk about it at supper."

"i... i should, uh... barn," matthew said as he tried to stand up but marilla stopped her brother.

"for pity's sake, anne, your sister is right, hold your tongue. show some propriety here at supper," marilla scolded at anne.

"sorry."

the house turned into silence again, as anne broke it, "millie and i are awfully curious about it. when would be a better time to ask?"

"some other time," marilla answered.

and once again, they eat the supper silently.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

"ah! isn't it good to be alive on winter mornings like this?!" millie heard anne exclaimed as she, matthew, and marilla looked at the redhead girl.

"anne, why do you have..." millie suddenly asked as soon as she notices anne's hair full of ribbons.

"anne shirley-cuthbert! goodness gracious, what's happened here?" marilla exclaimed.

"it's decorative," anne said, "for beauty's sake. even birds have pretty plumage, marilla."

"plumage, fiddlesticks," marilla muttered, "take all that out of your hair at once. you look ridiculous."

"marilla, please, please, let me wear them to school," anne pleaded.

"for the land's sake, that's the last place you want to wear them, believe me," marilla said.

"i know you don't understand or imagine, but if you had red hair, you would want to cover it too! millie, please help me persuade marilla!" anne exclaimed.

"uh, anne, your hair is beautiful. you don't need to hide it! i would kill to have red hair!" millie reassured to her sister.

"i do not condone unnecessary adornment," marilla simply said, "off they come."

"marilla, how can you be so unfeeling?" anne said.

"years of practice."

"i need to be beautiful," anne said.

"enough of this foolishness," marilla said with finality.

"anne, you are already beautiful!" millie said.

anne silently take the ribbons out of her hair as she looked at millie, "also, why aren't you dress up?"

"oh, uh, i'm not going to school today. i insisted on helping matthew on the barn today since it's jerry's day off today," millie explained to her sister.

"can i not attend too?" anne asked.

"absolutely not," marilla retorted, "you will go to school today, anne shirley-cuthbert."

"but if millie and matthew needs some assistance i would be here to---"

"it's fine, anne. besides, diana would be really worried if you didn't attend school today," millie reassured.

"but jane will be worried about you too!" anne exclaimed.

"eh, it will be fine. i'll visit her later after school," millie said as the redhead just sigh and nods her head.

«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»

"hey, marilla! hey, anne, nice hair! wow, what's gotten you in a good mood?" millie asked as she noticed anne was very happy.

"she received a letter from gilbert blythe," marilla answered for anne.

"oh, love letter?" millie teased.

"no!" anne quickly protest but her mood becomes happy again, " 'miss anne shirley-cuthbert.' how wonderful! look at that, marilla, millie!" anne said as she showed her name in the envelope, making both marilla and millie laugh.

"we saw," marilla said, "do try to learn to take things calmly, child."

"how can i be calm when i've never seen my name written with 'miss' before?"

"open it, anne," millie encourage.

"just so you know, there's nothing romantical about this letter, nothing whatsoever," anne quickly defended, causing millie to laugh.

"yeah, sure thing," millie said, but not entirely believing that there's nothing romantical in the letter.

"you wrote to him about the gold, as I recall," marilla said.

"yes, that's exactly right. i wonder what he said," anne said.

"they're not coming back?"